Express Your True Feelings in Japanese!: Particles よ, ぞ, and ぜ :Hey, everyone, and welcome to another Bondlingo Japanese lesson! Do you find it hard sometimes to express what you really mean when conversing in Japanese? If so, then you’re no different than the rest of us. Speaking in your non-native language can be frustrating at times. Sometimes you wonder, “How do I say what’s on my mind the way I want to say it?” Today, we’re going to learn how to be more assertive when expressing our ideas, opinions, and observations. One way to do this is by utilizing the particles よ (yo), ぞ (zo), and ぜ (ze) as sentence enders. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
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Express Your True Feelings in Japanese!: Particles よ, ぞ, and ぜ
Japanese Particles :よ (Yo)
Let’s start with the easiest and most common. Attaching よ to the end of a sentence is a way to express your opinion forcefully while at the same time attempting to obtain the listener’s agreement or approval. よ is used in both male and female speech patterns. Below are a few examples of how to use よ to add a little bit of umph to your self expression.
高橋: 佐藤さんがまず副社長に相談すればよかったんだよ。
鈴木: そうなんだよ。
Takahashi: Satou-san ga mazu fuku-shachou ni soudan sureba yokatta n’da yo.
Suzuki: Sou nan da yo.
Takahashi: Sato really should have talked to the vice president first.
Suzuki: I 100% agree with you.
妻: どうしてドレスを持って来ないの？忘れないように、メードは玄関にかけたよ！
夫: かけていないよ！
Tsuma: Doushite doresu wo motte konai no? Wasurenai you ni, meedo wa genkan ni kaketa yo!
Otto: Kakete inai yo!
Wife: Why didn’t you bring my dress? The maid hung it up in the foyer so you wouldn’t forget it!
Husband: No, she didn’t!
When using よ, men usually prefer the more direct だよ (da yo) sentence ender. However, women, in order to soften the bluntness of their speech. will often use わよ (wa yo) or のよ (no yo). Below are some examples.
せいら: 先週末どうしてパーティーに来なかったのよ？
恵子: 行ったのよ！遅刻だから最後の３０分くらいしかいなかったの。
Seira: Sen-shuumatsu doushite paatii ni konakatta no yo?
Keiko: Itta no yo! Chikoku dakara saigo no sanjuppun kurai shika inakatta no.
Seira: Why didn’t you come to the party last weekend?
Keiko: I did! I was late so I was only there the last half hour.
健司: お腹空いた！このハンバーガー美味しそう！
花: 手を洗って！コロナウイルスになるわよ！
Kenji: Onaka suita! Kono hanbaagaa oishisou!
Hana: Te wo aratte! Corona-uirusu ni naru wa yo!
Kenji: I’m so hungry! This hamburger looks delicious!
Hana: Wash your hands! You’ll get the coronavirus!
Japanese Particles : ぞ (Zo)
Adding the particle ぞ to the end of a sentence adds more force than yo and can be used to make commands. ぞ is typical of male speech and is rarely used by women. It is often used in times of impending danger or if there is a threat. Another use is as motivational self-talk. In the examples below, notice how brief and blunt the sentences are.
雨が降ってきたぞ！
Ame ga futte kita zo!
Hey, it’s starting to rain!
地震が来たぞ！
Jishin ga kita zo!
Earthquake!
すごいぞ！
Sugoi zo!
Magnificent!
行くぞ！
Iku zo!
Here I come!
頑張るぞ
Ganbaru zo!
I’ll give it my all!
Japanese Particles : ぜ (Ze)
ぜ is basically the same as ぞ except I’ve heard it used more often with younger men than older ones. Therefore, you can choose which one you like better, ぞ or ぜ. However, do remember that by using either of them you’re taking a risk of being misunderstood, which could cause some people to take offense. A general rule of thumb for this type of speech is to be aware that it exists, but don’t use it yourself unless you’re at a particularly advanced level of Japanese and know what you’re doing. Below are some examples of using ぜ in a sentence. Notice, like ぞ above, the sentences are short and blunt.
これは本当だぜ！
Kore wa hontou da ze!
This is the truth, I tell you!
骨が折れるぜ！
Hone ga oreru ze!
This is hard work, man!
行こうぜ！
Ikou ze!
Let’s go already!
(スポーツ) 頑張ろうぜ！
(Supootsu) Ganbarou ze!
(Sports) Let’s beat them into the dirt!
In Summary
The particles よ, ぞ, and ぜ are added to the end of sentences as a means to forcefully express one’s thoughts. よ is the softest of the three and is used by both men and women. Women, on the other hand, often add わ or の to よ in order to soften the bluntness of expressing their opinion. ぞ and ぜ are the least common of the three because they come across as the most forceful. These two are mostly interchangeable and are used predominantly by men. It is advised that you refrain from using ぞ and ぜ unless you have superior Japanese skill as it might cause a misunderstanding and offend some people.
Now that you’ve learned a few new particles, try to spot them in the Japanese texts you’re reading or the conversations you’re listening to! If you read manga or watch anime, you’re sure to find ぞ and ぜ! Pay attention to how they’re used and how it comes across to the other characters. Also, try practicing よ in your everyday speech and writing!
Remember, practice makes perfect, so get out there and practice, practice, practice!